Isabelle will be making her return in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

In an interview with IGN, Animal Crossing: New Horizons game director Aya Kyogoku and producer Higashi Nogami answered the most important question of all about the new entry into the beloved series.

Everyone’s favorite little mayor’s assistant from Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Isabelle is going to be coming back in New Horizons, but we aren’t quite sure in what capacity.

Seeing that the player is no longer the mayor of a pre-established town and will instead be turning a deserted island into a place that can draw in other people to live there. With only a tent and two other inhabitants on the island to start the game, players will seriously need to work to make the island more appealing for others.

But back to Isabelle, apparently her appearance in the game depends on factors such as how much debt the player has paid back to Tom Nook and the state of their island. If a player decides to play a more wild style and live outdoors or without a house, it might affect not only their island but also those who come to the island as a whole.

“If the player chooses to stay in the tent, Tom Nook may say ‘Hey, actually, that guy likes living more of an outdoorsy, wildlife,’” Kyogoku said. “So he may not see the necessity of adding new resident support services. But then if you do upgrade to a house, he may see a need for some sort of new facility.”

Isabelle is used to living in a relatively upgraded town, so even if we don’t know what role she will play in the game since the player isn’t a mayor anymore, a more modern setup will likely entice her to come home!

Nook being somewhat aware of how the player is living on the island is a very interesting addition to the game that could influence the entire experience a player has with the game.

The return of Isabelle wasn’t questioned up to this point since the reveal of the new Animal Crossing game followed her announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, it is nice to have the confirmation that she will be around in some form.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will release for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020.